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every single thing you put on the internet is being used somehow/somewhere to make money, to sell you things etc.

how do you think it happens that things you seem to be interested in pop up in the ads sidebar or in your google search?

i don't know the "how" and someone more advanced in that department will need to speak up - but i would not be surprised if this were true. so i am playing on the safe side since i am a fairly private person i dont want to be data mined with out my permission

Unfortunately, the settings for post ratings, as many other features on the software are an "all or nothing" situation, so it doesn't allow for users to customize whether or not they want to see it or receive notifications.

Since we had a strong majority of users who wanted to get rid of the negative ratings or the entire system, we just removed the negative feedback option, and turned off the notifications. Obviously, we're never going to hit the universal perfect situation for all users, but let's give this set-up a try.

This set-up should be pretty innocuous for folks -- you have to actually go to your post on your own to see if you've gotten a positive rating (so it is <gasp> kind of like Facebook in that regard ), but it gives folks a quick, non-repetitive way to say they've appreciated something you've shared.

Nothing says we can't tweak the settings or wording again down the line. For example, if folks think we need some balance with negative ratings after all, we can add them back in but have it not be anonymous, so people use it more responsibly and thoughtfully.

We appreciate your time and feedback, and as always, your interest in the site!

The problem is that people use the thumbs down for different sentiments such as "That Sucks for You" or "You're an Idiot"... which are two very different ideas and if FB had a "don't like" option it would cause a civil war

When I got Thumbs Down I just figured the person was on an iPhone and fat fingered my thumbs up Maybe I have an overly inflated self esteem?

Obviously, I'm chiming in to tell you to shut the barn door after the horse is already running down the road; but a thought for any future amendments.

I think the second-biggest problem with the rating system is confusion about what it is actually "supposed" to be used for. The biggest problem is that I find it completely inane to have on a discussion board, since one click does not constitute a discussion.

We are asked if we "appreciate" a post. We are told that other members "found this post helpful." When we get notifications, we are told our post was "good" or "bad." There is so much confusion in the language surrounding the thumbs that it's hard to tell what their purpose is intended to be, how they're meant to be used, and what it means to get one.